Hyperdimension Neptunia mk2: His Second Tale
by Kinji Takakura
Summary: Rated M in case I cross any lines. Sequel to Hyperdimension Neptunia: The Xth Factor... not really. After reaching his conclusion in Tales of Xillia 2 True Ending, Ludger Will Kresnik comes to Gamindustri as a DLC character. Needless to say, he has no clue as to what is going on as he fights alongside strange allies, against even stranger enemies. Ohh, this is going to be fun!
1. Demo

****Alright here's a small preview of the Mk2 Crossover Fanfic that I was planning up. Sorry it took so long, it's just that...it was ! #$ing hard to choose a new protagonist for this one. Too many to choose from. I kept agonizing it, choosing between characters back and forth and even when writing this, I kept having second thoughts.

But I narrowed my criteria down a little. I wanted to do a character from another RPG, specifically from the Tales Series since I really like their games and their characters. In the end, I wanted to do Ludger Will Kresnik from Tales of Xillia 2. Why?

Because I've been playing Tales of Xillia 2 from start to finish from the past while and damnit, that true ending really got to me! The feels! I wouldn't mind Asbel, Yuri or even Jude but after that game, I just had to go with Ludger. I liked the game, although I can barely understand much of it.

However, what sold me was the interaction that was between Ludger and Elle. Although not romantic, their relationship was definitely one of the things I enjoyed seeing.

After that and watching a bit of Papa no Iukoto wo Kikinasai, all that inevitably drove me to this.

I imagine the interactions in this fic to be something like this:

Ludger will care for the girls, similar as to how he did for Elle, in a fatherly manner.

The girls on the other hand...Well, if you understand the basic concepts behind harem anime/games/manga/light novels/etc... then there really is nothing to be said there.

Again, this is just a preview. Whether I'll go through with this, really depends on a lot of factors, mostly my mood and overall reaction.

I'll admit that I'm kinda stretching beyond my normal comfort level by deciding to write this. I hope you like it.

**Demo: This is a fanfic, what do you need a demo for?**

My name is Ludger Will Kresnik. I'm about 20 years old.

My hobbies usually revolve around cooking and a bit of martial arts. I don't really have what you call a set fighting style. I use swords, giant hammers, guns when I fight. Choosing between which of either to use can be a bit of a hassle, I'll admit. And these weapons don't seem as fascinating as when compared to the people around me who uses swords, guns or a giant needle (Yes, that's what I said. A giant needle) but it gets the job done at least.

So that's enough about me, let me tell you something about my current situation.

Apparently, I'm a DLC character, coming from a foreign world called the 'Playstation Store'. Apparently, I was called here upon a process called 'Downloading', where I was apparently sent here through exchanging a special type of currency, namely '$2.99' to be exact. Apparently, that was all they were able to afford during these times of emergency. Apparently, I was brought here in order to help all the girls, save their sisters, beat the bad guys and save this world called Gamindustri.

...Ok, now I say 'apparently' a lot because to be honest...I have no idea what all this means. I'm simply working with what this girl called Histoire has told me when I arrived here. She wasn't really specific on the details. Just told me 'to follow the story' and 'don't die along the way'. I don't really get it but I suppose since I'm here, I have no choice.

Oh, don't get me wrong, I don't particularly mind being dragged all the way here without my consent, to a strange world I know nothing about, fight a strange enemy I know nothing about and work along strange allies I know nothing about.

...Ok, so I'm a little bothered by it. But I'll adjust. Hopefully...

Anyways, technically I was not supposed to even be alive, or rather, my existence should've been gone completely at the end of my last journey. But for some reason, I'm here, alive and kicking. This 'Playstation Store' might have something to do with why I'm here now.

My last adventure was quite the rough one but there were good times too and I was able to meet with a lot of interesting people. I'd say more about it but everyone feels all that is irrelevant and they don't really care so I'm just gonna leave it alone.

Apparently, anyone who wants to know the details should play [Tales of Xillia 2], or watch a walkthrough of it online. Or unless you're really patient, wait for a localization of it.

...By the way, what is a 'Tales of XIllia 2'?

Anyways, it's probably for the best that I leave my background behind and just focus on the task in front of me. Besides, nothing important about me that hasn't been already said anyways.

Now onto my allies that I'm helping out. A bit different from what I'm used to working with. Namely, most of them are a few years younger than me and each of them have very...uh 'unique' personalities. Now that can be either good or bad, depending on the situation.

All I can say is that I have a hard time keeping up with them.

Oh and there's this one little other issue that I'm trying to come to grips with. Namely, it's that the ratio to boys to girls in our party are incredibly off-balanced.

Sufficed to say, I'm the only guy.

Yeah, that's right, I'm the only one in this part of the male gender. In respect to Gameindustri, I might actually be the only non-NPC, human male in the entire world.

Am I the only one who noticed this? I certainly hope not.

Nepgear, Uni, Ram and Rom...

Their sisters have been captured by the one who seems to have Gamindustri running amok.

My purpose here is to help them save their sisters, and save all the people of Gamindustri, if I could, and so to do that, it seems I'll have to fight my way through hordes of enemies.

Kinda like the one right in front of me.

"Uwah!"

I make a quick step to the side, narrowly dodging a whip-like attack from a massive tongue the size of a red carpet...and the texture of one too.

I rushed forward, quickly picking up speed as I gathered momentum all over my body. I stomped my foot down right before my opponent, gaining a steady stance with my legs wide, until I swung my hammer and slam it straight into that big yellow pot belly with a snap of my arms.

"Guooohh!"

The massive titan that resembled a giant pig, or even a lizard, fell back a few against the weight of my strike. My solid hit left a solid dent in the monster's steel belly.

Normally, a man of my stature can't possibly inflict such a wound against a monster this big. So I simply had to generate power from my legs and send it into my arms, exploding it out from my hammer when I struck.

This monster, who goes by the name, CFW Trick, had suddenly attacked us and we were forced to fight.

Why did he attack us? ...I can't say it...His reasons for attacking are wrong. Just...wrong.

"Uoooo! No! This won't do! Being hit by a guy doesn't feel good at all! What's a guy doing here!? Surrounded by so many beautiful maidens! I'm so jealous!"

Yeah, that's his reason. He was jealous. I can't really call that a valid reason for trying to kill me however.

"Get out of my way, you ridiculous excuse for a dating sim MC! My tongue is just itching to be all over those pretty nutritious and pure maidens! Come on, you gotta let me have them, just when they're at their sweetest and before puberty strikes! My tongue must have that first taste while they continue to remain pure!"

When you put it like that, forget it! And watch what you're saying in public, there are kids watching here.

"Noooo! I don't want to go anywhere near that perv!"

"Mr. Ludger! Help us! Please don't let him lick us!"

Rom and Ram were clinging to my back, hiding like a pair of frighten kittens. I can't really blame them for being scared. I wouldn't want to get licked by that guy either.

Rom and Ram were essentially twins, with the only difference in choice of clothing colors and hair lengths. Rom was the quiet one with a bobcat chestnut colored hair while dressed in a blue and white winter outfit. Ram was the more lively one with long chestnut hair while dressed in a pink and white winter outfit.

...Or did I get that backwards?

Well, at any rate, I need to protect these two from the monsters in front of us! Against anyone else, these two could manage themselves just fine. However, it seems they have met their match against this one. I can understand why too.

"O-o-o-o-ohhh! Such delicate, pure maidens! There is no sweetness to describe such a pleasure! So much sugar in one place! I can't stand it! Now come! Come, my little children! Sit on Daddy's lap and we can enjoy ourselves all day and night!"

This is arguably the worst case of a sexual predator that I've ever seen. I'm afraid that this might actually extend further into something even more grotesque then I can imagine.

I've learned a lot of ways of treating people with illnesses, but this was beyond my power.

"This creep gives villains a bad name. No class as a villain whatsoever."

Uni sighs with a looser tension, as she truly looked disgusted upon seeing CFW Trick.

"He's really scary...are all the bad guys we face from here on are gonna be like him?"

Nepgear wonders as she grips on her sword poorly with trembling hands. She had every reason to be afraid. After all, this guy was dangerous in more ways than one. No girl could possibly come close to that massive slithering tongue of his, nor would they want to.

"Mmm, this maiden scent is making me drool~ I can't hold it anymore! Guhehehehe! Time to eat!"

With the natural face of a predator, the one called CFW Trick charges in with a feral face with its tongue hanging out from its mouth. It moved fast for someone so large and it had a waterfall of drool coming out of its mouth.

There was something about this monster in particular, that made me more scared of him than I should be.

Several eerie chills were running down my spine as he came in close. At the same time, I feel a great force pushing on my back.

"No-! Stay away!"

Rom was crying out while clinging to my back as she wraps her arms around my waist. I understand your fear but I can't fight with you holding me like this!

"Uwooooh! Damn you, boy! To be in such an envious position that I can only experience in my dreams! The punishment is death!"

CFW Trick's gaze now hones in straight towards me. E-Eh!? You're after me now!? And I feel an even more hostile gaze coming from what I believe are his eyes.

"Che, no way I'm losing my maiden's purity to this pig!"

I feel a solid kick to my back that shot my body forward. Ram just kicked me straight into him! Hey, hey, hey, wait a minute! I understand that you don't want to deal with him but that doesn't mean I want to-Ah, his tongue is coming right at me!

"HueHueHue, my saliva is capable of inflicting the most deadliest poison known to playable characters. You'll be dead in 3 turns!"

W-What? W-Why? Why would something simple like saliva have such a deadly side effect!? Just what kind of biology does this guy have!?

"...Uwah...!"

I stomped my feet down, trying to obtain a steady footing. My body momentum was still going forward, because of Ram's unusually harsh kick, right in the direction of that incoming tongue.

I really don't want to get touched by that, so I'll-!

Whoosh!

"Hah!"

I make a quick backstep, narrowly dodging that tongue as it came up for an upward lick! Thrown drops of saliva almost hit my face until I made use of a small opening I see in the corner of my eye!

Observing the area around me, and taking note of a small opening on my opponent's flank, I make a quick dash and with a flash-like step, I immediately appear right behind CFW Trick, standing firmly in his blindspot!

It wasn't easy, sneaking up on such a large opponent at that speed. As the opponent glances left and right, looking for what I assume is me, I readied my stance and drew out dual swords out of thin air. Don't ask how I can just draw out weapons out of thin air, I just can!

"Take this!"

I unleashed a flurry of quick slashes while twisting my hip and body. Two simultaneous horizontal cuts followed by a cross slash, I left deep scars on the hard body of CFW Trick's back end.

I fired my heel straight into that scar. The power of the kick amplified by the injuries suffered from my previous sword wounds, left a serious, ringing pain in his ass.

"Yeeeeeeeoooowwww!"

CFW Trick makes a slight leap up from the guard as its hands held onto its rear. While his ass was still bright red and throbbing, Uni took the chance and unloaded a shower of bullets from her assault rifle, straight at CFW Trick's face

Her gun kept making constant 'ta-ta-ta' sound with a rapid pace as empty bullet cartridges fell all over the ground.

...She kept at it for a while. What was the bullet capacity of that gun again?

"You punk! Creep! Sicko! Pervert!, Hentai! Lolicon! Pedophile! Beast! Psycho! Game Cheater! Fatso! Enemy to women! Dirty Old man! Filthy! Scum! Trash! Amoeba! Crap-pile! Incest lover! Tentacle rapist! Yuri Freak! Daughter Complex Wannabe! Closet Mahou Shoujo Wananbe! Maid Worshiper! S&M Lover! Harem Freak! Yaoi Fanatic! Tsundere Geek! Yandere Geek! Every-dere geek! You enemy to all things pure should just die! Die! Die! Die! DIE!"

Uni...who's teaching you all that interesting vocabulary?

Her gun kept unloading bullets. I was certain at least 200 rounds must've been unleashed at Uni's feet. Seriously, how many bullets does that gun have?

And from a single glance from his face, I can tell CFW Trick is getting pissed!

"You foul-mouthed little girl! I say, take all that back! I am none of those names that you decided to call me so rudely! I'm simply a gentleman with perverse tastes!"

...I think that's the same as what Uni was calling you, just summed up in a short phrase.

"...You disgusting freak! You deserve 1000 Deaths!"

Uni squeezes that trigger as if ready to rip it off the gun. The bullet output from her gun must've increased at least by three-fold.

The damage done was little, whittling away CFW Trick's bar of HP, one point at a time.

"Hmph, these bullets of yours can't even scratch this rugged face of mine...Oh! But if you come over and give me a slap, riiiight here, then my life bar will deplete to zero, just like that! Come on! Get over here! Slap me! Give me a good one right here! Come on! I want you to do it!"

CFW Trick is taunting Uni in the strangest way...This guy really is a pervert, isn't he?

"Alright, my precious! Come to daddy!"

CFW Trick narrows his eyes on Uni while smacking its lips with that predatory gaze.

...Crap! I can't let Uni get anywhere near this freak!

While I was thinking that-!

"Huh?! What's this!? I can't move...!"

CFW Trick tries to pick itself up from the ground but the moment it makes a leap, he suddenly freezes up on all parts of his body.

From that tongue the size of an anaconda and that pig's body that reeked of something nasty, CFW Trick remain frozen in place while struggling to move even his fingers by an inch.

"Alright, I have him paralyzed but only for a bit! Well, what are you waiting for? Go get him already!"

Ram shouts as she holds her staff, concentrating her magic as her staff releases a strong light.

I see...So that's what's going on. Much appreciated!

"Um...I'll heal your wounds! Here!"

Rom pulls out her staff, which releases a brief flash of white light, that had a healing aura around it. I can feel all the pain from the nerves and muscles in my body melt away when I feel that light all over my body.

Ah, I needed that!

"Nepgear! Let's go!"

"R-Right!"

At my call, the two of us charged straight at CFW Trick remained paralyzed with a hail of bullets raining down on him.

Nepgear readies the sword in her hand and I readied my twin blades.

She came in from the direction opposite of me as the two of us faced each other. She was going to attack from the front and I'm coming in from behind.

A dual attack from both directions! This'll do some heavy damage!

"Hah!"

"Ei!"

As soon as my blades were in range to attack, I kick off the ground and make a fierce dash straight in, barely phasing through CFW Trick's body as I swung my blades and passed through him!

Nepgear mimics my action from the other side and swung her blade. I could practically feel the tip of our swords make contact with each other as we cut through the thick skin and pass by, all in a single fluid and clean motion.

It was as if all we did was cut our swords through empty air.

Once our attack ended, I found myself standing in front of our foe. Nepgear stands behind him. Our positions were easily reversed in less than 2 seconds.

"Guwahhhhhh!"

A scream of anguish roared out from the enemy as he bellows into the sky! His scream was filled with incredible bouts of pain when I heard it. His tongue lashed everywhere as he flails all around.

Nepgear and I back away, returning to our original positions as we kept our distance from our enemy.

Nepgear stands at my left while Uni stands a few steps back away on my left. Ram and Rom were at the rear, supporting us with our magic.

It was a basic formation but it still worked nonetheless.

That last attack should've destroyed what was left of the monster's HP. Keyword in that phrase is 'should've'.

"Gwahahahahahahahaha!"

A rather...retarded sounding laugh comes out of his mouth.

"You thought you finished me, right? That the battle is over and you can collect your Credits, Experience and any Item Drops!? That's what you're thinking, wasn't it!? Wasn't it!?"

...Actually, no, not really.

"Well, here's a little surprise for you: I can't die! Not when I already activated my 'Invincibility' cheat! No matter what you do or what attacks you pull, my HP will NEVER go below 1!"

"Hey, that's cheating!"

Uni didn't hesitate to complain, putting her hands on her hips as she glares fiercely at CFW Trick with much hatred in her eyes.

He simply scoffs, saying,

"Hmph! Only losers would actually put the effort and play the game 'fairly'! Why bother putting all the work into grinding level, when there are EXP Multiplier cheats all around!? Why farm money when you can have 'Infinite Money'! And you have the 'Infinite Health' which makes all battles an Instant Win! Screw Gamer's Pride and all that crap! Cheating is Justice! The people who cheat are Justice! All hail the cheaters! Cheaters FOR THE WIN!"

...I'm being completely honest when I say this.

I seriously don't want to deal with this guy anymore.

Screw this.

I reached into my pocket and pull out a large golden pocket watch.

I should've just done this from the beginning.

Using this power doesn't have any side effects here like it did before. So I was free to use this as much as I want once enough time has passed.

Now seems like a good time as any.

I held out the watch before my chest while grasping it with both hands. Concentrating a little bit of power, golden magic circles in the form of gears and clock faces circled all around me, before my entire body was suddenly engulfed with that same golden light.

[To be continued...Probably]

**Next Level Preview**

**Ludger: Huh? A next level? Are we actually going to continue on with this?**

**CFW Trick: Mwahahaha! What a marvelous demo! And to think I was able to make an appearance! Cheating really is Justice!**

**Ludger: Disregarding that last remark, was there really any point to this? I'm certain that after a read though, the readers are even more lost on this than before.**

**Neptune: Of course! That's what demo is all about! It's supposed to make no sense while at the same time, give you an idea of what it's all about! But yeah, usually demo's are only for gameplay purposes. Having a demo for a fanfic is a really stupid idea.**

**Nepgear: Big sis! You're safe!**

**Neptune: Huh? Oh, right! I'm supposed to be captured, aren't I? **

**Nepgear: How did you get here?! What happened!?**

**Neptune: Well, I got bored. And so I came here.**

**Ludger: That sounds a little whimsical of you.**

**Neptune: Hey, so you're the new Main Character, huh? Nice to see you actually talking for a change! I have to admit the whole 'Silent Protagonist' schtick you had going back in 'Tales of Xillia 2' just didn't work for me. You can do that with 'Mario', and 'Zelda' but not here! Nope! Nuh-uh! Not happening!**

**Ludger: Well I suppose it is a relief to have more lines to say.**

**Neptune: Well anyways! I should really get back to being captured by the bad guy! Won't have much of a story if I'm not held prisoner, you know?**

**Ludger: I think we'll have less of a story if you could waltz here back and forth from your own imprisonment.**

**Neptune: Alright, later! You take care of Nepgear now, you hear? Bye-Bye!**

**Compa: We didn't get much of an appearance, did we, Miss IF?**

**IF: Can't be helped. It was important that we established the new characters as soon as possible.**

**Ludger: ...Aaah! I just realized we were supposed to preview the next level! Crap, we're out of time, aren't we!?**

**[Next Level: Tutorial!]**

**Neptune: These forced tutorials always suck!**

**Julius: Ah, so you have forgotten how to fight, Ludger? Very well, then I shall educate you!**

**Ludger: Brother!? What are you doing here!?**


	2. Tutorial

****Hi everyone, Kinji here with another update for you all. Sorry it took so long for the updates, I've just been really busy with interviews and job searching and everything. I'll be starting work in September as part of a paid internship program so until then, I've been gaming like crazy through rpg's, replaying Tales of Xillia 2 (Bcz the Corpse Shell is such a cool power, especially in Level 4) just so I could have my fill of summer fun.

I'll admit on a humor perspective, this chapter is a little weak. I got some going on in the beginning but until I introduce more characters (probably in the next chapter), this is as much as I could come up with. Besides, humor is good and all, we all like to laugh and everything but even Neptunia has its serious moments too so I can't forget that.

Anyways, enjoy.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Xillia 2 or Hyperdimension Neptunia...or Mario, Zelda, Devil May Cry or whatever series or parody I may end up referencing in the course of this fanfic. They are all properties of Namco Bandai, NIS America, Nintendo, Capcom...and many other company's of the series I will end up referencing later on. I am simply using them for story...and joke purposes. The only thing I own is the story itself...not that I'm getting anything out of it then a temporary relief from my own boredom.**

**Tutorial: For those too lazy to read the manual**

All stories have their beginning's. They also have their endings as well. Usually, those ends mark the start of a brand new beginning. A new story, with new friend, a new world and new enemies.

My story-Actually, my second story begins...Truth be told, I have no idea how this began in the first place. In fact, I didn't think a second tale for me would've been possible. It shouldn't have been and yet the second chance is given to me. Why? I'll get to that later.

But all I know for now is that when I had first reawakened, it was in a completely new world in which I was a stranger.

My existence, which should've been erased completely, had finally came to in this world known as...'Gamindustri'. Gamindustri...as well as, 'Game Industry'... The gods and/or goddesses who first created this world...must have been very lazy.

So back to my second tale. I had no idea what happened when I was unconscious (that wasn't exactly true. My existence was-should've been completely erased) but whether it was a result of a Divine Prank by the gods or an occult ritual developed by some demon-worshipping weirdo's, I find myself with a second life in a new world. Well, it's not like crossing between worlds is anything new. It was even part of my job back in my first life.

I wasn't sure why I came into this world as an adult. Something must've went wrong with the reincarnation process, not that I can say anything about it.

But I could say that the story begins...with a really weird sense of deja-vu.

It first began with a fight for my life, as it seemed my own Brother was trying to kill me!

And for some strange reason, it happens again!

"Ludger!"

"Uwahhh!"

I was caught completely off-guard by a series of slashes aimed for all my vital points. With sheer instinct, I parried the incoming slashes at tremendous speed. It was pure muscle memory that saved my life at that point. Had one of those strikes came in, I'd be bleeding profusely by now.

I glanced up and my opponent, who gripped a pair of dual swords in a reverse grip, similar to mine. Actually, that's not right. It was more like, I was copying him, then the other way around.

His face was obscured by darkness, but that voice, that stance, those swords and those moves...There's no mistake, everything mimics Nii-san perfectly.

I find myself fighting Nii-san once again...Wait, why am I being gloomy about this!? In the first place, shouldn't the two of us already be dead!?

While I put on a stupid face, the one I believe to be Nii-san is smiling at me.

"That look on your face...You must be thinking 'How are you and I still alive?' Right?"

He can just tell by looking at my facial expression. As expected of Nii-san, your ability to read me is as terrifying like always.

"There's really no magic behind it. Surely you must've heard of revival items such as the 'Life Bottle' as well as the 'Rebirth Doll's', have you not?"

Huh, I don't recall them having the power to resurrect the dead. That alone sounds like one powerful magic.

Nii-san then adjusts his glasses. There was a strange gleam coming from his lenses.

"That's a joke. I was kidding, of course."

Ah, I see now...Nii-san's sense of humor has become worse since I last saw him.

"Never mind that, no seriously! Why are you here, Nii-san?"

Have I stumbled into another alternate world? Then what about me, why am I here? Have I come from an alternate world? No, it can't be. My memories match up perfectly. Also, I shouldn't be aware of alternate worlds if I was from an alternate world.

Ahh, my brain hurts now...Complex thinking was never my forte.

Then my brother speaks up.

"You're always so naive, Ludger...Did you really think we could have a story with you as the main character, without me, your own flesh and blood...as well as your foil and more-or-less rival character..."

Rival character? ...I never really viewed you as that but I suppose you were the closest thing to one that I know of...

"But Nii-san, to think of you as my rival is...Impossible. Completely impossible. It can never work out."

"Fool!"

Nii-san suddenly gets angry with me.

"Don't you realize the importance of a person vs person conflict? Especially in an RPG! It builds character development, and tension in the story! It is a staple among all JRPG's and who better to take the role of an opposing force for my little brother than the older brother himself! It can be a childhood friend, a rival, an arch-villian, a madman bent on world domination but there is no history stronger than that between us blood siblings! The longer the history and the stronger the antagonism, the richer the tale becomes! Why do you think popular franchises such as Mario and Zelda use the same villain over and over and over again? Because the history between the protagonists and antagonists have a long history, creating a story that never loses its luster! Do you understand?"

"...No. Not really."

I got lost somewhere when he said RPG.

"Hmph, you're still a child, Ludger. Very well, I'll teach you something useful."

Nii-san proclaims while adjusting his glasses. I have a bad feeling about this...

"Listen, Ludger! The best RPG's are the kind with two crucial characters. First is the Protagonist, second is the foil that stands opposite of the protagonist! It doesn't matter what the relation is, so long as their connection runs strong! The foil exists for the sole purpose fleshing out the main character while having a semblance of personality of its own! Why do you think that our fellow Tales game, Tales of Vesperia has become such a defining game? Sure there is the characters, the story and gameplay, but tell me, Ludger, do you think that you could get through one playthrough of the game without making that one back-up save before that one-on-one duel between the childhood friends and natural opposites, Yuri Lowell and Flynn Scifo near the end? It is a self-requirement of any who even touch the game-Nay, a responsibility as a gamer! To be able to play through that fight over and over, stringing an endless combo, and challenge it on higher difficulty simply to gain a sweeter taste of victory!"

Nii-san, you're talking too fast. I-I can't keep up!

Nii-san comes in, swiping his blades across. I dropped my torso just as his blades came, nearly dodging it as Nii-san's swords cut a few strands of my hair on the top of my head! That was too close!

I swiped my own blades in response, but my body was so low and my legs were bent so far that the motion felt awkward. My slash didn't came as fluently as I wanted to be. As a result, Nii-san dodges it easily, twisting his blade and allowing my blade to pass by. Nii-san follows up with a spin and solid kick to my back, knocking me away.

I tumbled on my feet slightly until I could barely regain my balance. I turn to face Nii-san again as soon as I can get a steady footing on the ground.

Nii-san's glasses were shining in such a way that I couldn't see his eyes. I get chills, imagining what the expression he must be wearing behind his glasses.

He continues to throw his words out like a mad man.

"And it isn't exclusive to RPG's either. Any great game, at least from a story perspective, essentially lived in those kinds of conflicts in order to increase dramatic tensions and forge a memorable story to be engraved in the gamer's heart right into the end! Look at Devil May Cry 3! A magnificent game for its time for its graphics and gameplay but it is the antagonism between the twin brothers in the story that keeps its memory alive to this day! A senseless hack and slash it may be, you cannot deny the enjoyment you felt from fighting that same boss 3 times over until the end, simply for all the tension building up through the story all the way to the climax. Indeed, the difficulty and moveset may have increased but the sense of adrenaline you felt only came through the complex emotions felt between them and it drives your hands to create a memorable battle, without items and occasionally, no weapons except your trusty sword in order to create an intense sword fight for the final battle!"

...I remain silent.

"That being said, a conflict with no prior history of antagonism or complexity only creates a dull, anti-climactic fight that should never be used as a final battle! I choose not to point at any fingers but there are some out there that would turn potentially great games into a joke. Some do not realize the importance of the final battle, in respect to giving the game a type of replay value. It is just like these swords in my hands; it can be a great weapon but only used correctly. Anyone who dares to try and pick it up without realizing how it should be used only end up hurting themselves. Do you understand that, Ludger."

Yes, yes, I understand...You are clearly NOT my brother! One of us has to be insane if I actually consider you to be him! My beliefs that this is an alternate world becomes strengthened, an alternate world clearly devoid of any sense of sanity!

At the very least, you better not be my brother! I don't know what I'd do with myself if it turns out to be the case.

Ah, Nii-san's mature, respectable image that I have in my mind is being destroyed right before my eyes...Now the Nii-san in my mind is being destroyed because of this person...

"You still look lost, Ludger...Very well, I'll touch you with my blades then!"

[Use the Left Control Stick to move.]

No time for that, voice in my head!

Nii-san makes a light dash towards me, covering the 5 metre distance between us in an instant! So fast...!

He unleashes a confusing macabre of sword slashes from all angles. His swords were like a complete blur before my eyes, I couldn't see where they came from or where they aimed at. If this isn't my brother, he's a good imposter! No, he actually might be faster than him...!

I can't read his attacks from his arms nor were parrying his blades were easy. My eyes felt like they were playing tricks on me so I allowed my arms to move on their own accord.

"Hah!"

I managed to parry most of Nii-san's attacks but his blades manage to subtly slip through the gaps of my defence. I could feel a cut on my right leg, my left arm and my right cheek! It stings lightly but it wasn't anything especially painfully.

I kept my mind sharp against Nii-san's rain of attacks. He grips one blade in a normal grip suddenly and strikes both his blades against my own. The force of his attack pushed my back and my feet skids a few meters across the ground. He's strong...! Even though we fight using the same weapons, the power difference between us were too high!

I put my swords back and drew out my sledgehammer. That would prove to be my first mistake.

I charge in while keeping my distance. The longer reach of my hammer should give me an advantage, so long as I stay just beyond the reach of his swords. I swung through, aiming for Nii-san's face. With a hammer, my speed is reduced but I gain strength because of it. Just one hit...If I could get one good hit in, I might be able to beat him.

...I then forgot how much faster my opponent was compared to me.

I aimed for his face but all had to do is step back and allow my hammer to lightly brush his nose. Pulling it the other way, I fired again towards Nii-san's face, only for him to take a small step back and dodge it again. His movements were like water. He didn't overreact nor did he waste any effort in any unnecessary movements. He simply responded to the situation accordingly. Every time I swung, he would simply swerve in the last moment, treating my attacks like they were nothing.

It was clear that he was toying with me. And that really angered me!

"Hwahhh!"

I raise my hammer above my head and gripping the long staff firmly, I put all the power in my arms and shoulders and swung my hammer straight down, releasing a thunderous crash! It smashed straight through and impacted a deep crater on the ground where I struck. I couldn't find Nii-san anywhere...

"Is this all you can do?"

His voice surprised me and when I raise my head up, just beyond the head of hammer, I saw Nii-san standing atop the long staff of my weapon. He pinned my weapon down with his body weight and I couldn't raise my hammer up with Nii-san standing along the staff.

His balance was perfect and he showed no sign of tipping to either the left or right. That and with the way he had his arms crossed felt like he was playing with me from the beginning...! I feel frustration on my fingers as I gripped the weapon I couldn't even pick up.

With no other option, I had to abandon my hammer...!

The second my hand released their grip, I immediately dashed back while drawing out the last weapon in my arsenal. My dual guns. Swords and hammer were no match against him. This is my last hope. While running back to gain distance, I took both my handguns and took aim against my opponent.

I wasn't some master gunslinger who could fire handguns wildly. I had to consider bullet capacity and the consequences that comes with dual wielding guns. My accuracy suffers so I had to aim each gun carefully before I fire if I don't want to waste bullets. At a distance like this, I had to be extra careful so I don't miss.

Steadily walking back to gain distance, I fire my guns at him. I fired two at a time, one from each gun. I aimed for the head, chest, legs, arms and his chest once more. At the range I was in, he wouldn't be able to react in time to dodge all the bullets coming right at him. Even if he had tried, at least some of them should land a hit. I was careful with my aim and made sure the bullets flew where I want them to be. If he's human, some of them should hit...

...But Nii-san didn't even bother with even trying to dodge.

Nii-san stayed completely stationary, allowing the bullets that were gonna miss fly right by his body without even touching him, as if he had seen where they were going to go.

And to the bullets that should've hit, Nii-san had a clear look in his eyes as he glares at the bullets coming right at him. He bends his knees and enters a fighting stance, while gripping tightly to his blades in both hands.

...! Don't tell me, he's gonna cut all of them down...!

At inhuman speeds, Nii-san swings his arms so fast that I couldn't even see his hands for even a moment. His arm movements and the edges of his blades created slashes so intense they were essentially visible before my eyes, even if it's only for an instant. There was a friction building up in the atmosphere even though the only thing he was slashing is the air.

100's of slashes being made with each passing second at all sorts of possible angles and directions and my bullets became caught in that web of endlessly rapid cuts.

For each bullet that came in range of Nii-san's blade, a painful dull ring resounded into my ear, followed by a brief flash created by the sparks made by the clash between bullet and steel.

Before my mind could even register what happened, Nii-san's arms suddenly stops and his storm of sword slashes steadily calms down. Bronze-colored pebbles seems to drop right at Nii-san's feet the second his blades had stopped.

I look more carefully and realized that those things I were seeing weren't pebbles. They were the bullets I fired. I didn't recognize them because they bore such a crude shape. It was because all my bullets had been essentially cut in half right down the middle!

His swords completely ripped all my bullets! Bullet splitting, a feat very people could even think of accomplishing. Just how many bullets however, did Nii-san cut right before my eyes.

I look at how calm his face is. You can't be serious! With the speed his swords were going at and the feat he just pulled...How could there not even be a bead of sweat on his face!?

"You look surprised, Ludger...No, that doesn't seem right...Afraid, is that what the emotion is?"

"...!"

I took his words to heart...Afraid? Is that how I'm feeling right now? Am I...scared...? True, you can't expect me to stay calm after what I had just seen. But am I actually afraid? Afraid of Nii-san...?

My hands...They wouldn't stop trembling...I can't fire my guns, with this unsteady aim...I had to stay calm, I knew that...But my hands just wouldn't stop shaking...These guns are essentially useless with my hands like this.

And with that, have I completely ran out of means for fighting back?

...No! For some reason, I can't accept defeat just yet...!

I gather power into my hands which channels into my guns. My guns begin emitting a pure white light with a golden hue. The added power created a burning sensation and a sudden weight the made my arms heavy.

So I can still use artes...!

I leap back high into the air and once I caught my target in my sights, aim both my guns down towards Nii-san. As long as I'm in the air, I won't have to worry much about the high recoil from this attack.

"Requiem Beat!"

The fired bullets were infused with a strong power of light, which creates a massive light blast on impact. The raining light bullets fell and Nii-san was completely overwhelmed on all sides as the explosive light from my numerous bullets engulfed his body in its shine. The numerous light blasts erupted like geysers and blew up small craters where my bullets have struck. Even if it wasn't a direct hit, he should've been caught at least in the surrounding blasts.

I was confident in the power behind those blasts, for it took a lot out of me to use that arte. I should've at least done some harm on him.

The area surrounding Nii-san was covered in a fog of smoke by my attack. I wasn't sure what happened to Nii-san behind it. That arte alone I unleashed shouldn't be enough to kill him but it should've done some damage at least.

That's what I hoped for when I got back onto the ground. The smoke finally clears and when my eyes finally caught glimpse of a silhouette emerging from the smoke, and I absolutely cannot believe what I had seen.

"...!"

My guns had almost slipped out of my hands, due to the fact that my hand had suddenly lost strength.

The damage I've pulled with my arte was real. There were small craters all over the place caused by the blasts of light I had unleashed from my guns.

Yet, Nii-san is standing there right before me and the ground beneath his feet remained completely intact, forming a small level island surrounded by the body of ruin. Nii-san's arms were crossed right before his torso. It gave my confidence knowing that he actually defended against my attack. But the extent of the damage only seems to have burned his sleeve. Every other part of his body remains completely unscathed.

"Not yet, Ludger! You have a long way to go before you can do anything! Before you can help anyone, you must be ready to go through me, can you do it, Ludger Will Kresnik!?"

What do you mean?

Nii-san sneaks up on me with his blinding speed. The moment I realized he was there, Nii-san had already went right through my body, his blades suddenly cut clean straight through my abdomen before I even realize the blades touching me!

As a massive pool of my own blood poured onto the ground, I was forced down onto my knee!

This is...! Not again...! No, stop it! Nii-san stop this!

Nii-san passes before me again with a spin, the blades suddenly cut into my back before I noticed him coming! I feel into my left shoulder, etching deep straight into my shoulder blade and back!

My body felt no pain. My senses were essentially cut from my own body while Nii-san rips apart my flesh with his swords.

Why is this happening again? That's all I could ask myself as I tried to hold my torn-up body together. Should I try to stop the bleeding on my stomach? Or my shoulder instead? Would any of that really matter, or was this just my vain attempt to cling to my life?

I don't get it...There was so much I couldn't understand.

I don't understand why I'm experience something like this again. I don't understand the insane rants Nii-san was saying earlier...And...

I can never understand why Nii-san is standing there, killing me in the first place. I tried to move but my body isn't responding to my mind. To be able to move in this body would be an absolute miracle and still, I cling to life, desperately wanting to live. At the very least, I don't want to be killed by Nii-san of all people...!

And yet, Nii-san is trying to kill me. He stands before the pathetic me who was essentially on his knees. My mind felt hazy and I felt cut off from everything. Was it because I lost too much blood?

But I could never mistake that blade over my head, held in Nii-san's hand, ready to plunge itself into me. Was it trying to judge me? Prosecute me? Execute me? That thin one-handed blade was as terrifying to me as a scythe and the Grim Reaper holding it had a cold, silent expression in his face. You could at least pretend to show sorrow, even if it's not real...

...This is messed up. Completely messed up. Stop this, Nii-san. Stop this! Stop it! Stop it right now!

STOP IT!

The blade descends, striking me down. Where did the blade strike? My head? My throat? My chest? Did the blade even touch me at all?

I wasn't sure of anything at the moment. All I knew was that as my own blood stains my vision, all I could do was helplessly scream out in frustration and anguish! I kept screaming and screaming until my lungs essentially gave out.

"...Ahh!"

My eyes suddenly snapped open and I was breathing heavily.

"Hah...Hah...A...dream...?"

My face was practically drenched in sweat. Can a dream really make me sweat that much? But, why did I have that dream again?

Nii-san killing me...What kind of twisted sense of deja-vu was I dealing with?

The first time was bad enough, now it was just weird. That stuff Nii-san spouting earlier made no sense...No, I highly doubt the real Nii-san would even say such nonsense to begin with. My brain must be playing mind tricks on me or something...Wait, does that mean the crazy one isn't Nii-san, but...me!?

That's an even scarier thought. Man, just how tired was I to be have such out-of-the-world dreams...The stuff Nii-san was saying was absolutely confusing...What the hell did I make last night for dinner to dream up something so crazy... Hah, I hope to stop dreaming like a madman someday. It's not healthy...

I should probably get up now.

It was then that I finally took notice of my surroundings, starting with the unusually cramp and hard bed my back was resting in. Was this really a bed? It feels like I was sleeping in some kind of stasis pod...Ugh, I watch far too many science fiction movies.

I looked up. I don't recognize the ceiling at all. Nor do I recognize that little girl with fair skin and long lilac-purple hair with darker coloured eyes staring right down at me.

"..."

"..."

Even though our eyes were naturally locked onto each other due to how close our faces were, there was an awkward silence that I couldn't exactly describe.

First off, I wanted to ask who is this girl and what was she doing?

"...Ahhh!"

I ended up screaming out loud to myself instead. How else was I supposed to wake up? I wake up to find a girl's face hovering right above my eyes?! Of course, I'd freak out! How can I not freak out!? I'm freaking out right now!

"Wah!"

My sudden scream scared the girl. Her face backs away and she tumbles back like a frightened rabbit. Ah, I scared her. That was my mistake. I then raise my upper body up from my sleeping position. I look around and...I have no idea where I am. It looked like I was in some kind of church, a very clean and just a little high-tech church than I could feel comfortable with. Everything about this place felt sharp...and shiny. Especially shiny.

This place is definitely new to me. You don't see places like this back at home...not that I've ever been to church before.

I look onto the 'bed' that I was sleeping in...It really is a pod! Am I some kind of laboratory experiment gone wrong?! Cyborg? Clone? The Ludger Will Kresnik from a distant past frozen in stasis for some hundreds of years?

...I feel perfectly human but that doesn't say much, if anything at all. It seems the only way to find out is to cut myself open and see what I get...

...Or I could just ask that girl who keeps gazing at me from a distance.

Upon closer look, I realized she was really cute. And really young too. She wore what looked like a school uniform consisting of a white jacket-dress with purple lining consisting of thin double white stripes. A white choker, and around her neck is a pale yellow ribbon/ascot like piece with a N in the center. At her chest is a small pink marking while the pockets and buttons are purple. On her right leg is a white belt like purse object and she wears pink and white striped socks with white and purple shoes. In her hair she wears a single direction pad button.

She had a quivering expression in her eyes and she wouldn't stop trembling. I looked at her and our eyes met again. Her cheeks suddenly turn pink when I look her way.

She stills looks a little scared. Perhaps I should say something to ease her distress.

"Umm..."

"I'm sorry!"

She apologized before I even said anything! I was completely dumbfounded for reasons I'm not even sure of.

The girl bowed her head at me. Ah, you really don't need to. Then she looks back at up and with her face furiously red, words practically pour out of her mouth.

"I know it was wrong of me but I was watching you sleep! You were just lying there and you kept moving around like you had a bad dream! I wanted to wake you up but I wasn't sure how so I kept staying there, watching you while figuring out how to wake you up and then you woke up and I was still watching you and now we're here and here I am, explaining to you why I was watching you while you sleep, because you kept moving around, talking and I wanted to wake you up, but didn't know how so I kept watching you until you woke up and I was still watching you and...!"

"I get it, it's fine. Don't worry about it..."

I wave my hand at her while I say that to her. At that rate, she was never going to stop telling a story that pretty much repeats itself.

The girl blinks a few times with a pleasant surprise.

"R-Really? Oh, okay then. Stiil, I'm sorry for watching you sleep. I should've asked for your permission first."

Asking permission to watch someone sleeps stills sounds like a really bold and creepy thing to do. I suppose in a way that's still polite...but still really creepy.

"Er, never mind that. By the way, where am I?"

Scratching the back of my head, I look around the place. I feel completely lost until that girl explained it to me.

"You're in Gamindustri. Well, Planeptune to be precise."

Gamindustri? Planeptune? They sound like completely new worlds to me. How did I get here from my old world?

"So how did I end up here? And in a weird tube no less?"

When I asked that, the girl suddenly becomes flusters. Bashfully, she begins to speak while lightly playing with her fingers.

"W-Well, i-it's a long story actually..."

"I have time."

"O-Okay, well, you probably can't tell from here but our world, Gamindustri, is currently being threatened again by a very evil group. They had already captured our sisters and as we are now, we aren't nearly strong enough to deal with them by ourselves. So Histoire suggests we use her 'Soul Translator' Device to ask for assistance from someone who might be able to help us. She found you, apparently drifting aimlessly outside the boundary of time and space so she used the Soul Translator to bring you here. The download process took a long time so everyone went to play video games in the other time. I simply stopped by to see how you were doing. Although the process was 100%, you didn't wake up so I started to worry a little."

"I see..."

I had no idea what she just said? Soul Translator? Drifting outside the boundary of time and space? Well, I suppose I should've ended up somewhere when I erased my own existence from my world. I didn't think I'd be still existing though, even if it's outside of the natural world. There was a lot of things I don't get and by her poor explanation, it didn't seem this girl knew much about it either. Maybe this 'Histoire' she mentioned might have answers. Because right now, I'm totally lost.

"Um, I'm sorry!"

The girl apologizes again!

"What are you sorry about?"

"Umm, it's just...You probably were in the middle of something important, right? And yet, we were thinking of ourselves and brought you here without asking for your consent, just so that you could help solve our own problems. It was wrong of us but there's really no one else we could turn to at the time. Even so, that doesn't excuse bringing you here against your will so, I'm sorry!"

The girl bows her head in apology. W-Well, it's good you're being so considerate but I think you're overdoing it.

"Ah, don't worry about it. I wasn't really doing anything that important anyways. And it seems like you're in a lot of trouble, so I don't mind."

"R-Really!?"

The girl looks at me with hopeful eyes. They lit up like stars as she looks a lot cuter and livelier now. Yep, I definitely cannot take back what I said to her, not that I was lying to begin with.

Not doing anything important? I was essentially dead until I came here. Instead of being angry, I should be grateful for this second chance at life at all.

True, I would've preferred to have been reborn back in my own world. I still worry about the things that I've left undone and the people I've left behind. I worry about **her **as well. I wonder if she's still doing okay. I wonder if she's eating right, getting enough sleep and staying out of trouble like a good girl...

...But as long as I know **they **are with her then I have nothing to worry about. We went through a lot of hard times but made a lot of great friends out of it as well. I know that as long as she's with them, then I have no need to worry. She'll keep walking forward with friends at her side to help her out and I know she'll grow up into someone I can be proud of.

My role there had come to an end. It should've came to an end permanently back then as well. But it seems I'm still needed.

In this world called Gamindustri, I have something to do here. It's a little unclear at the moment so I guess we'll have to fix that.

But still, a completely new world...I'm a little worried for myself now. Adjusting to things here isn't going to be easy...Or maybe it will. How should I know, I've barely been in this world for 5 minutes.

"U-Umm, Mister!"

The girl suddenly calls to me, grabbing my attention while I was lost in thought. She stands in a very formal manner, calling me 'Mister'. She had her hands neatly at her side and she tries to look strong while holding her chest up. The girl looks like she was holding her breath underwater or something.

"Yes?"

I bend my neck in a slight confusion. The girl then says to me with a tone higher than usual.

"I know there are a lot of things you don't get and it's a little too late to say this but...Please, help me save my older sister!"

The girl then bows her head at me once more. It was similar to the one she makes in apology but at the same time, completely different. This bow wasn't an act of being shy and timid, there was a sense of bravery behind her words as she asks me such a pure, earnest request. It was then sense of courage stemming from a strong love for her family that moved me slightly.

Maybe it's because I too, am a younger brother that I can understand her desire to want to save her older sibling from whatever peril she's in.

Ahh, she reminds me of myself. Like how I wanted to save my brother, here she is, trying to save her sister. I understand her feelings and why she would ask essentially a total stranger like myself for help, even though she hardly knows me. If I were in her shoes and as young as her, I'd probably do the same thing and ask help from just anyone willing to listen.

And maybe because I see the similarities, that I didn't want her to turn out disappointed like I did.

I couldn't do anything to save my brother in the end. I didn't want this girl, whom I've just met, to experience the same pain and grief that I had.

I didn't know much about the situation, nor who this girl is but I do know this...

...Anyone who could bow her head like this and make a request like she did so earnestly couldn't possibly be a bad person.

"Alright, I'll help. So long as you tell me what exactly is going on."

Her face then brightens up and she looks up at me with sparkling eyes and blushing cheeks. She looked really happy just now, despite the few words I had spoken.

"R-Really? Oh thank you, thank you so much!"

Crying out in joy, Nepgear clasps her hands right before her and showed me a cute, fond smile whose shine would put even the sun in the sky to shame. Seeing her happiness, I can't help but smile back in nostalgia.

Something about seeing her smiling with such happiness made me feel a little nostalgic. Somehow just seeing this girl happy right before me puts me at ease. Her eyes shining with a child-like exuberance had the strange power to make any adult want to spoil her like she was their own daughter.

She really is a cute child.

"Thank you, Mister! Oh, and I almost forgot! My name is N-Nepgear! P-Please to meet you."

She makes a formal introduction and gives me her name. Nepgear, huh? That's a unique name.

"And my name is Ludger. Ludger Will Kresnik. Pleased to meet you too."

[Nepgear joins your party...Or you join Nepgear's party.]

That voice in mind comes out of nowhere. Well, which is it?

[And so Ludger Will Kresnik enters the world of Hyperdimension Neptunia. Will he be able to solve the current problem threatening the very wellbeing of Gamindustri and its many inhabitants? Will his initial friendship with Nepgear perhaps blossom into something more? And what of that of the others that await him? Only Ludger can decide the answers to that.]

That voice in my head again...Who are you?

[Never mind me! Just go on your adventure, beat up bosses and monsters, finish quests, gain levels and start raising the affection levels of all the other girls already!]

**Next Level Preview:**

**Neptune: See? What did I tell you? These forced tutorials do suck!**

**Nepgear: You shouldn't say that, big sister. These tutorials are only forced to begin with because people nowadays aren't just willing to take the time to read the manual.**

**Neptune: Pssh! Forget the manuals and forget tutorials! They should just dive right in head-first like a real gamer! You see anyone even bothering with them when playing a fighting game!? All you gotta do is mash your way through!**

**Nepgear: For a fighting game, maybe. But how would anyone understand the complex gameplay elements of your modern RPG without some kind of guidance?**

**Neptune: They should just not make RPG's so complicated to begin with!**

**Ludger: You two...Can you have your debate elsewhere? I can't preview the next level with you two talking.**

**Neptune: Oh, that's it? No problem, I could do that in 10 seconds flat! Ahem-"Next time, Ludger learns more about the crisis threatening Gamindustri's goddessses and the threat behind it all! At the mean time, Nepgear tries to sort out the strange, lingering emotions she suddenly developed for the young man at first sight. How will she cope with such feelings?" ...Aww, my little Nepgear's growing up!**

**Nepgear: Big sis! Ah, Mr. Ludger. Please, pay no attention to her. Just go on with your Level Preview...**

**Ludger: ...Actually...**

**Nepgear:...Wait, do you mean...?**

**Ludger: ...The wording's a little different, but what Neptune said...pretty much sums it up.**

**Nepgear: W-WHAT!?**

**Compa: We didn't make much of an appearance in this chapter, did we, Miss IF?**

**IF: Don't worry, our big appearance is just around the corner, just you wait for the next chapter Compa.**

**[Next Level: Welcome to Gamindustri!]**

**Ludger: So...who came up with the name, 'Gamindustri', anyways?**

**Neptune, Noire, Vert, and Blanc: Don't look at us!**


	3. Level 0: Welcome to Gamindustri!

Ok...This is embarrassing. As it turns out, I became more addicted to Tales of Xillia than I had expected. It went beyond merely finishing the stories, I had to tackle all the side quests and bonus stuff as well. I managed to achieve as much as I could in my jude playthrough and so now that I'm on Milla, I managed to calm down and get this written. That said, it took me much longer, since I pretty much spent the last week on Xillia but it's over now.

Writing this chapter wasn't especially fun for me, since I spent half of it just getting introductions and the setting out of the way. I then realized how much I depended on Neptune's idiocy to ensure humor. So I'm gonna have to think my way through dealing with that.

Since Ludger was a silent protagonist, it's pretty hard to get the characterization right. The only thing I have to work on were dialogue choices and his actions through the game. So here, he's pretty much a Level 1, with Corpse Shell starting from the beginning and working his way up. Thought it would be more interesting this way.

And thanks to you all again for reading my stories. Honestly, as soon as I posted the Tutorial, my inbox was already flooded nonstop with reviews about this. Even I never expected this much, considering how unnoticed I imagined a crossover like this to be (Neptunia is one thing but I won't imagine many people dropping by the 'Tales of Xillia' section, although that will probably change now that the game is localized.)

Happy reading. And on a little side note, who would you imagine would be the english voice for Ludger when Tales of Xillia 2 come out? Gotta be somebody who could draw the difference between Ludger and Victor in my opinion.

**Level 0: Welcome to Gamindustri!**

The first thing I did when I got up was pat down my body and inspect myself from head to toe. Everything seems order. I'm not missing any limbs or fingers, nor did I have any extra (Now that's a scary thought).

Ah, my neck-tie is a little loose, I better fix that up.

I felt a sense of nostalgia as I tightened the tie around my neck. The first thing I thought as I adjust to my own body was 'Ah, it's good to be back...'

My fingers move like they're supposed to and I have no problem moving my body the way I want. It's good to know that my physical abilities haven't dulled at all.

Hmm...? My weapons...They're not here.

The weapons I carried and the items I had doesn't seem to be on my body. I'm essentially as naked as a newborn baby...Oh, don't get me wrong. I'm fully clothed, here.

As for the pocket watch which I had always kept with me...It was in my pocket?

That can't be right...But looking at the gold, old fashioned pocket watch that was in my hands after I had taken it out from my pocket, there was no mistaking it.

This watch, was the one I always carried, the one that allowed me to transform.

Not only was it exactly like the one back home, the way it fit in my hand as I grasped it...There's no denying it.

This is the watch that allows me to use my power. But why was it here? Why did I have it on me? Perhaps, just like my being here, there was a reason that this power came with it.

Is the situation so bad that I was going to need the Corpse Shell's power again?

...Can someone tell me why is it that no matter where I go, I'm always drowning up to my eyeballs in trouble? I must be cursed or something.

Nepgear was just standing there, looking at me with bewildered eyes.

"Umm, I'm sorry. Even though we brought you here, we haven't really give you much to work with. Everyone thought it would be too game breaking if you came here with all your item, weapons, special attacks, skills and stats retained from your previous adventure so we pretty much brought you while resetting all your items and skills. With respect to our world, you're pretty much a Level 1."

I see. So I guess my Corpse Shell Power has also been reset then back to Level 1...Assuming I can even use the power in the beginning at all.

Everything is reset, huh? I suppose world-jumping will do that to you. I wonder what things will be like now for me? The only way for me to know is to take my first step into this new world and see what I get. If my luck is anything that I think it is, then what's waiting for me is...trouble. If I run into another terrorist attack then it's clear that someone upstairs is out to get me.

And with that, I looked over at Nepgear who presents me with a pair of dual blades.

"F-For now, please accept this!"

She presents me the swords rather bashfully and looking at them, they seem like the same kind of swords I used back home. The length and width of the blades seems balanced to what I was looking for.

I picked them up from her hands and...they're pretty light.

"Thank you. I'll take good care of these blades."

I gripped the two blades in my hands with a normal grip, admiring the blades. These are some sharp edges. These swords are double-edged despite the curved blade. I spun the blade in my finger until I held them in a reverse grip. Ah, now they feel much better in my hand.

"..."

For some reason, Nepgear was staring at me. Her eyes were unusually focused on my hand. I backed away, slightly disturbed. I'm not fond of people simply staring at me...I don't think anyone is.

"U-Umm, what is it?"

"Huh? Oh nothing...It's just, I've never seen anyone wield swords like that before. It's a little strange."

"...It's just my preferred style when it comes to using sword."

Was a reverse dual sword style really that rare in this world? Or has not many people ever thought of using it?

Well, I suppose that uniqueness in my style is bound to give me an edge against the enemy.

"Speaking of which, who's the enemy threatening this world, anyways?"

It was a question I should've expected from the beginning.

"Oh, that remind me. I should bring you to Histoire, she'll explain everything to you. I was supposed to bring you to her anyways. Come follow me."

I followed Nepgear through this strange looking church that I was in. I didn't know anything about my surrounding at all so I had no choice but to follow Nepgear to show me the way.

I was lost in many way right now. Perhaps, Histoire, the girl Nepgear mentioned would explain all these questions waiting in my mind.

The person Histoire...was certainly nothing that I had expected. First off, she was a lot...smaller than I envisioned...A LOT smaller.

She uh, 'stands' at about...13...no 15 centimeters. Yes, centimeters. I had to measure her height in centimeters. She really reminds me of a fairy. She had long, light blonde hair worn in curled pigtail, curled bangs, along with curled bangs reaching her chest. Her eyes were blue and she had fair-tan kin. There were purple and blue, butterfly like wings extending from her back while her white hat had what looked like blue headphone pieces over her eye. She had a small green tie and a purple dress.

And she was tiny like a fairy. Like a fairy companion that would travel alongside you on a journey to save the world, all the while shouting in your ear constantly about useless tidbits that you could do just fine without...

...But no seriously, she is small. You could show her to a child and they would probably confuse her with some revolutionary, interactive toy. If toys like that would actually exist, parents would certainly freak out.

She sits upon a book, which happens to be floating in the air...What kind of world have I stumbled into?

"Ah, Nepgear. You're here. Oh, and it seems our new friend has awoken too."

The girl's attention shifts from Nepgear to me, and she smiles sweetly.

"It's nice to meet you, Ludger. I'm Histoire, it's a pleasure."

"You...know me?"

I point my finger at myself, looking stupid and she brightly responds,

"Of course. I was the one who summoned you here, after all. Oh, but I suppose you have no idea what that means. I'm sure Nepgear explained most of it. Essentially, I downloaded your mind, soul and body to our world so that you could help us in our time of crisis."

Ah, yes, Nepgear mentioned that already. Something about that device I was sleeping in earlier translating my existence into this world. What incredible technology, this world possesses.

"Ah, but why me, exactly?"

Histoire answers me with a gentle, but firm tone of voice.

"I sense a great power inside you, Ludger Will Kresnik. And I believe with that power, you'll be able to save Gamindustri from its time of crisis."

Nepgear then adds on top of Histoire's words.

"Histoire also said that since you were kiiiinda drifting around outside the natural plane of existence, she thought you would have nothing better to do and brought you here."

That was a rather...brusque way of putting it.

The calm, naturally composed Histoire...was suddenly panicking as she faces Nepgear.

"N-Nepgear, you weren't supposed to tell him THAT part!"

"Oh, I'm sorry!"

Nepgear gasps, cupping her hands over her mouth while apologizing. I thought making a mental tally of how many times this girl apologizes.

Then out of curiosity, I looked at Histoire and asked,

"So, if you were able to bring me to this world, would you be able to bring me back to my world?"

Histoire's face suddenly becomes grim as she lowers her head with a guilty face.

"Sadly, no. I don't have the power or the technology to make it happen. At least, not anymore. If it's a mind or consciousness alone, then such two-way travel is possible. But I had to bring not only your mind, but body as well. To be able to translate that between worlds is impossible for me. I'm sorry..."

"Ah, I see..."

I wasn't really bothered by it. I already made peace with all the things back home and to be honest, I was never expecting such a second chance to life. To ask to be able to come back home to my world sounds a bit too greedy. I was just curious as to what this new world is capable of.

But still, such one-way inter-dimensional travel sounds like...a bit of a nuisance.

The door on the other side of the room, just over Histoire's head, suddenly opens up. Two girls come out the door.

The first girl has light skin and pink eyes. Her hair is a light cream-pink color and is long and curled. Worn back with a black headband with a C patch on it. She wears a tan-white wool styled tank top with big neck and un-attached sleeves and matching styled boots, but with small ribbons/fuzzy balls at the top. She also wore a red plaid skirt, a black choker with a small heart on it, black-brown kneesocks with light pink heart cut frills, and often carries a black hip purse with a C on it, and heart shaped buttons.

She had a completely innocent and sweet disposition about her. I can only guess she may be just a little bit more naive than she looks.

The second girl had long, near waist length brunette hair, which was a complete mess as she sits hard on the ground. She had bit of it pulled into a side ponytail held with a fashionable green Leaf like ribbon. Her eyes are the same shade of green as that hair ribbon.

She wore a very big blue jacket that seems to be a few sizes too big for her, considering how trench-coat like it is and due to the fact the sleeves pass her arms. It's worn open, revealing a black and silver tanktop and a pair of shorts with a big belt. Lining up and down her front of the jacket are silver buttons going down the center, silver lining, and red marks inside the arms. If she was to button up the entire outfit it would reach her thighs. She wears short black socks and blue shoes matching her jacket.

This girl looked the stark opposite of the first girl. Like they couldn't be any more different. This girl looked much more cynical and a bit of a tomboy, compared to the other girl.

...Hey, can someone tell me why I'm only seeing girls coming from left and right? There is a reasonably sized male population in this world...right?

"Aw man, that final boss was seriously OP! I mean, my party was pretty much half-dead with everyone's HP and TP reduced to little stubs! Got wrecked with that 'Big Bang' in the first 10 seconds! Should've stalked up on more gels and life bottles when I had the chance."

"Well, you were tackling 'Unknown' difficulty, Iffy. That's the hardest difficulty setting, you know?"

The tomboy-like girl simply crossed her arms behind her head, letting out a rough grunt out of her mouth.

"That's the only way to play an action RPG. Gotta tackle the hardest difficulty the game has to offer. What I want to know is who's the genius who thought about making a final battle into 3 separate fights? I was pretty much on empty after phase two!"

The two girls seems to have a conversation that I could hardly understand.

I suddenly noticed the cute girl with the sweet face standing right in front of me.

"Oh? It looks like you're finally awake, Mister. Oh and my name is Compa. How rude of me to forget. And the girl next to me is Iffy. Say hi, Iffy!"

That girl -Compa- then makes a quick nudge to the brown-haired girl with a sharp face. Iffy crosses her arms and her eyebrows start to twitch.

"It's IF, not 'Iffy'. Don't introduce me with that weird nickname like it was my real one."

Ah, her name was IF, not Iffy...They were both rather strange sounding names to me either way. Perhaps, I shouldn't bring that up.

"I'm Ludger. Ludger Will Kresnik."

"Ludger Will Kresnik? I suppose, I'll just call you, Mr. Ludger then."

Compa responds rather formally to my introduction. Meanwhile, IF raises one of her eyebrows and bends her neck to one side.

"Ludger, huh? Funny, you're a lot more polite than I imagined. What, with your bleached hair and everything, I thought you just got out of some delinquent phase."

...Bleached hair?

"Umm...I was...kinda...born with this hair color, actually."

"...Seriously?"

IF can only stare at my hair, wide-eyed with shock. She had left her jaw essentially hanging open.

"There's no way! I mean, you have that patch of black going on at the fringe of your bangs. Is that seriously natural?"

"Yeah, I like to think so."

I answer her simply and Compa looked amazed.

"That's incredible! Such natural highlights in your hair! It sounds like every girl's dream."

...Is it really that incredible?

Then, Histoire starts floating by our heads, right before our eyes. She looks over towards Compa and IF with a concerned look.

"You two certainly took your time getting here. Did something happen?"

Compa answers Histoire's question,

"Not really. We were just over at Neptune's house, trying out all her video games."

IF then follows up with a cool smirk,

"She's got quite the diverse collection of interesting games, if nothing else."

Histoire lets out light sigh while letting her shoulders sink,

"Well, certainly, that Neptune has got quite the game library to distract her from her duties as a CPU."

I feel like an outsider in this conversation they were having. I can hear them just fine but I have a hard time comprehending what they are talking about. There wasn't much I could even say or add to all this.

Histoire then looks my way.

"Ah, I suppose explanations are due. Now, where to start...?"

Histoire places a finger on her cheek as she ponders seriously about it. It was then when IF steps in, placing her hand on her hip.

"Miss Histoire. I think it would only make sense for someone coming from a completely different universe to explain everything from literally, the beginning."

"You certainly have a point there, IF. Alright, Gamindustri came to existence about-..."

It seemed Histoire was in and ready for a very long history lesson about this origins of this world, Gamindustri. IF suddenly stops her from going any further.

"P-Perhaps we should just fast forward to about a few years ago, about all the important stuff! Anything Ludger wants to know before that, he can just read it up later."

"Oh, right. I suppose time is of the essence. Very well, I'll make this as brief as possible."

Histoire goes onto explain her story, about this new world and the trouble it's currently facing and it's...Umm, how should I put this?

20XX-This is the year I am in. I never knew letters of the English Alphabet could be used in this world's calendar.

The situation goes as follow as Histoire describes:

Gamindustri faces a dire crisis.

Shops are boarded up, creators are overworked and starving, and death looms over all Gamindustri.

Humanity continues to live on. During years past, the deserted lands of Gamindustri became known as the 'realm of Chaos'.

Since the advent of ASIC - The Arfoire Syndicate of International Crime - morality has all but vanished.

As much as 80 percent of all students are rumored to worship the being known as Arfoire.

Parents, knowing this a poor object to worship, went ahead and taught their children to do so.

The government turned a blind eye, instead of crushing this crisis in its infancy.

Thus, Gamindustri fell into complete and utter disarray. The citizens have come to accept all of the corruption as normal. They take no issue with acquiring items illegally. Those who were victims of this mentality became exhausted and were sent to wander the Gamindustri Graveyard forever.

Histoire's explanation couldn't be any clearer than that. The situation seems dire and it really does sound like Gamindustri was facing a serious problem.

My heart understands that...but my brain has a hard time, digesting all these facts.

I wore the confused face of a man that was utterly lost beyond belief. Of course, there would be something seriously wrong with my brain if I could accept all this so easily.

IF, then gives me a shrewd look while I stand there looking stupid.

"Neptune and the other CPU's have been incommunicado for three years now. They've been held captive in the Gamindustri Graveyard, guarded by this really tough enemy that we couldn't come close to beating. We were forced to retreat, bringing only Gear along with us."

Nepgear then wears a sorrowful face after IF's explnation.

"It's all my fault. The Sharicite should've been used to save my sister or the other CPU instead. If I was only stronger, I...!"

Tears were about to pour out of her eyes but Compa was quick to offer solace. She puts a comforting hand on her shoulder and gives of a smile that had a strong, motherly aura.

"It's not your fault, Ge-Ge... It wasn't like you were the one who caused all this. Besides, now we have Mr. Ludger here so everything will be alright!"

Compa looks towards me with confidence. Where is this confidence coming from!?

"M-Me!?"

I point to myself while stepping back.

I'm honored that they have so much faith in me, but you're making me nervous!

"W-What can I do exactly? I mean, the only thing I'm good for is cooking, housework, fighting...Oh and searching for cats!"

IF crosses her arms. She raises one of her eyebrows with slight amusement while I was busy groveling.

"Oh? The way you put it, you sound like a male version of Compa."

I wasn't sure if I should take that as a compliment or not.

Histoire then suddenly takes my attention as she floats upon her magical book.

"If you can fight, then that's all we need. I'm aware of the great power you have inside you, Ludger and I believe that with it, you'll be able to save the CPU's and stop ASIC's influence from further corrupting the denizens of Gamindustri."

My great power...She's talking about my Corpse Shell. She can tell just from looking at me?

"But, I'm not sure if I can even use this power here at all."

Histoire's face then becomes solemn and grim, as if she was expecting the end of the world coming just over the horizon.

"You must. Guarding the trapped CPU's is a powerful guardian that neither of us could defeat in our current state. Even if we could, there is a stronger enemy waiting in the shadows, who were able to defeat all of Gamindustri's CPUs single-handedly. I'm afraid this isn't a fight we can win on our own."

Compa adds to that.

"I was surprised too. Usually, those girls are tough like cold sores."

I wonder what the CPU's would react if they heard that right now?

IF sighs, crossing her arms.

"I don't think that's a compliment."

Her too, huh?

An enemy who could take down this world's CPUs? According to Nepgear, a CPU is essentially a Goddess. And there are 4 of those in this world too. A being with the power of 4 goddesses combined?

"But if they're that strong, I don't see how I alone have what it takes to beat this powerful enemy you're talking about."

I'll admit my doubts while putting a hand on my hip.

Histoire suddenly lets out a brief giggle. That was unexpected.

"You give yourself too little credit. Your power may be weak at the moment but I sense great potential in you. With enough experience, I know you can accomplish anything. Also, I didn't bring you here just because we desired your power alone."

"You didn't?"

"Yes. Now, I must admit while the CPUs are strong, they can be quite...childish at times. I mean, technically, they are essentially teenage girls and can cause quite a bit of havoc every now and then. In fact, I can only assume it was their overall mentality that brought them to this situation in the first place. So in order to fix this current crisis, and prevent future problems from occurring, I thought it best that...we bring someone who can...take care of them."

Histoire had trouble speaking her words out near the end. Ah, so this is what it's about, huh?

"...You basically want me to act as their guardian, right?"

Histoire only sighs, as if she was defeated in honorable battle.

"Yes. In a way."

"Wonderful..."

I lied a little. I wasn't exactly enthusiastic towards being their babysitters. More importantly, if the Four so-called Goddesses of Gamindustri requires supervision from a guy like me, then this world must be in serious trouble.

"Ok, putting that aside for now, what do you want me to do about the current situation?"

Histoire becomes serious again.

"The situation is dire and we have much to do and little time. ASIC has taken control of the world. Everyone knows of them and their power."

IF adds to Histoire's words with information that she was withholding.

"Arfoire's heretical followers are handling out illegal chips like candy. It's natural to see kids with several."

Compa continues on from IF. Is this a chain game?

"People like getting these gifts for free, so they start to believe in ASIC, and that conversion weakens the CPUs."

I nod my head a few times, trying to take in everything about this world.

"Ok, so let me get this straight. In Gamindustri, these CPU's obtain their strength due to people's faith. But because of this ASIC, people start believing in them instead of the goddesses. Less faith to the CPU's means they get weaker. And more faith to ASIC makes the bad guys stronger...Is that right?"

IF nods her head and quickly answers.

"Yep, pretty much."

Wow, I actually got it? It looks like my adjusting to this new world might go faster than I thought.

"You know that thing Ge-Ge was talking about earlier? Sharicite: that's just a crystallized version of people's faith. It's from that where the goddesses get the power should they be weakened. And I'm afraid without that, there's no way we could free Nep-Nep and the others."

I then respond back with my own hypothesis.

"But with the CPUs captured, people would stop believing in them, right? And you guys can't make any more of this Sharicite without that belief. This is a really tight situation you girls are in."

IF nods her head in agreement from my words.

"Yeah. And we alone couldn't save them either. That's why we needed help and were willing to go off-world to get it."

She seems to be talking about my arrival here. I was essentially called to get them out from between the rock and a hard place. I suppose that's a one-up from being just a babysitter.

"So, what is this ASIC after, exactly? Sure they sound evil but their motives couldn't be as obvious as to take over the world, is it?"

Histoire answers my question.

"ASIC's primary objective is to revive their guardian deity, Arfoire, who would then likely usurp the CPU's power and destroy all of Gamindustri."

So she wants to destroy the world instead...That's even worse.

"Should the current situation persist, I'm afraid it's only a matter of time."

Nepgear steps up with a look of urgency everywhere on her face.

"Is there anything we can do?"

"There is one way."

Histoire admits with a slight optimism in her voice.

"The sisters of the CPUs, the CPU Candidates, remain free. That includes Nepgear."

Nepgear then points to herself in slight surprise.

"M-Me? So the other CPU's have sisters too?"

Histoire simply nods her head with a calm smile.

"Indeed. The only individuals with the ability to regain the shares of Gamindustri are the CPU Candidates. Should we restore the world's shares to a fair level, the crime syndicate and its members will weaken."

(Regain shares on my sister's behalf? Can I really do that? I want to save her. I want to restore order to the world but...)

...Is what Nepgear is probably thinking, judging by the look of doubt she has on her face. Of course, I'm just paraphrasing.

Sensing those doubts, Histoire eases her mind with comforting words.

"It's okay. You don't have to do this alone. You'll have the others and I brought Ludger here to help you out. You have no need to be scared."

When she said that, Nepgear then looks my way with a hopeful look on her face. You'd think she was a child, happily waiting for mom or dad to give her candy.

I simply smiled and nodded my head, an action which simply states 'You can count on me.'

A bright look of a pink happiness then blossomed on Nepgear's face as she smiles optimistically. Of course, I don't mind helping out, especially to someone who clearly needs it.

IF then enters the conversation, scowling as if someone had just kicked her puppy.

"Isn't that a bit too idealistic? If they spawn faster than we can act, it'll just be another goose chase."

Even Compa agreed as she nodded her head at IF's statement.

"Yes, even the goddesses that people already worship were defeated easily."

Histoire responds to them quickly with her alternatives.

"I do have another ray of hope. You can request aid from each nation's mascot character."

Mascots? What are they?

I looked towards IF and Compa for answers and they were just as confused as me. So they don't know either, huh?

"Nations have mascots?"

IF mentions aloud.

"Quite so. When the mascot is recognized worldwide, it creates order in a manner akin to what the True Goddess desired. These mascots reside in each nation, providing prosperity and an abundance of sustenance to the nation's citizens. In the instance of unusual events, they support the CPUs to quell evil. They have at least that much power."

I...kinda get what Histoire was seeing. At least, I think I got all the important parts down...probably.

Compa's eyes were wide with awe and surprise.

"I didn't know mascots were such powerful heroes."

If they're so powerful, what am I doing here then?

Histoire then gives the bad news.

"However, we have yet to acquire reliable information on their whereabouts. I am in the process of researching and tracking down the Planeptune mascot. I will notify you once I learn something. Meanwhile, can you begin by regaining some of Planeptune's shares? This should also prove to be a good rehabilitation exercise for Nepgear and a chance for Ludger to learn more about our world."

So this is an exercise venture as well as a sightseeing trip, all in one package?

IF gives off a smile at mine and Nepgear's general direction.

"Yeah, well it's obvious Gear needs a chance to stretch her legs every now and then. Plus, Ludger here looks so lost, you could see it all over his face."

Was I that obvious? I must make the worst liar one could ever meet.

I looked over at Nepgear...She had a very hollow expression. As if something weighed heavily on her mind, taking so much of her attention that she was clearly detached from the conversation and off in her own world.

She must be thinking about her sister. I wonder what kind of person she is? Nepgear seems very attached to her and seems to rely on her a lot so I'm guessing she must be the mature, responsible and dependable kind of person. She is a goddess after all and an older sister on top of that.

...What is this strange foreboding chill I'm sensing?

"Well, I suppose with introductions and explanations out of the way, it's about time we let Ludger have his maiden battle."

IF announced. My maiden battle, huh?...Wait, battle?

It was then when IF drew out her weapons. A pair of katar dagger's, to be exact. An unusual weapon to see as hardly anyone I know uses such unique weapons. However, I can tell from the stance IF took with those blades in her hand that those blades were essentially an extension of her own body.

She was no stranger to fighting, and no stranger to those swords. It might go far as to say that this girl has mastered the art of combat with those blades.

That same girl aimed her blades towards me while taking a few steps back.

"We thought about taking you out to the field, beat up on a few Dogoo's for your first battle but then we thought 'It's been done pretty much everywhere, fighting the weakest monsters for your first fight' so we decided to do this, just to change it a bit."

IF explains to me. You know, I really wouldn't mind fighting weak monsters. You look like you could hurt me, a lot.

But then again, if the enemies I'm facing is going to be much stronger than her, I need to be ready for that.

Plus, I don't think I have much of a choice. IF aside, it seems everyone else was in on this from the beginning.

Well, Nepgear seems hesitant,

"I-Is this really okay? Jumping into such a serious fight right from the beginning. Mr. Ludger hasn't even have reached a save point yet!"

...Is that bad?

Compa is the one to answer both me and Nepgear's worries.

"Oh, don't worry, a loss for Mr. Ludger will not result in an immediate game over...It just might be a little embarrassing though."

Indeed, the humiliation I would feel towards losing against IF would be painful...especially since it looks like IF and the others should be in school right about now.

"This will certainly be a good chance for Ludger to exercise his body before starting out on the field. Although, I do have my concerns for letting IF be the one to duel Ludger."

Histoire expresses with a worrisome voice. I can't tell if she's considerate or pragmatic about this.

Compa responds with a sweet smile.

"Oh, it should be fine. Iffy is pretty much the best fighter we have here at the moment, with Ge-Ge still recovering her strength. And if Mr. Ludger actually wins, we'd feel a lot more at ease handing the Party Leader title to him."

If I actually win...? I couldn't tell if Compa was underestimating me or that IF is just freakishly strong for her stature. Which is it?

Nepgear places her finger on her cheek, with a completely confused expression on her face.

"Huh? But I thought Mr. Ludger was already the main character since this started. Doesn't that make him the leader already?"

"You're right about that but I wouldn't know what we'd do if the main character actually turns out to be weaker than the other members."

Compa explains...This world certainly operates on the strangest standards.

"Don't worry, I'm certain that Ludger's strength is what we need...We'd certainly be in big trouble otherwise."

Wow, Histoire, your confidence in me waver so easily...

IF then shoots a firm look into my eyes. As if trying to look deep into it to ascertain just who I am underneath these eyes, IF then wears a cool, confident smirk.

"Oh, you all don't need to worry. Ludger may have the blank look of an idiot but I can tell he's a fierce warrior when pushed to the edge."

I'm sorry that I naturally look like an idiot. I was born with this face along with the rest of my body so there isn't much I could do about that.

I see Nepgear and the others stepping back, leaving a wide open area for IF and I to fight. We didn't go outdoors so I imagine that this is a simple sparring match. Either that or everyone's willing to destroy this place regardless.

I took a few steps back to gain distance from IF. I then drew out my dual blades and held them tightly in a reverse grip. I assumed my natural fighting stance.

"Two swords as well, huh? Well, don't expect me to go easy on you just because this is your first fight since entering Gamindustri."

IF proclaims with confidence as she adjusts the distance between her feet by a few centimeters.

"You as well."

I say back to her. Going all out against her might be considered bullying in the eyes of some but I don't think this is a girl to treat lightly.

I hope I remember how to fight. I guess I'll have to defer to my instincts for this.

"Here I come!"

IF makes a great dash straight forward towards me! It was such a direct attack to make! Was she perhaps testing my reaction time?

The distance between us was previously 5 meters. She covered that distance in a few second. She sure was fast. In that last possible second, If thrusted one of her blades, with her eyes aiming straight for my chest.

A forward attack, no matter how fast it was, was easy to counter as long as you can see the attack coming.

"...!"

My arm reacted as fast as it could. Against IF's thrusts, I parried with a sword slash from my left arm with equal force. The second our blades touched, our attacks cancelled each other out. The straight line that IF's blade followed veered off from its original course. Where it once aimed to strike my chest, it now aims just over my shoulder with my blade pressing against the edge of her weapon, stopping it dead in its tracks before it could reach any closer to my body.

A simple block but it was enough. I had confidence in the strength of my arms, which spent so much time swinging sledge hammers around. Blocking her attack was simple.

IF's face hardly showed even an ounce of shock upon seeing her attack blocked. So she was testing me, huh?

"Impressive. Now I know you can actually use those swords, rather than simply look cool with them."

A back-handed comment from IF which might hurt more than her blades could.

If then quickly draws her blade back, readying her follow-up I readied my blades and sharpened my focus. At this range, the attack was gonna come much sooner.

I had expected a second strike from her blade like always. I had underestimated her...

"Take this!"

Spinning her body around while balancing on her left foot, IF raised her right leg up high and swept it around in an arc. Her target is my head. I recognize the stance she makes and can see the attack as soon as she got into position.

A reverse hook kick with an added spin to gain momentum. This girl knew martial arts and was good at it too!

As soon as I recognized it, I pull my body back. It felt like someone was ripping violently on strings attached to my back, causing me to bend my body back at a low angle.

The heel of IF's moving foot ferociously brushed the edge of my nose and using the momentum of my body to my full advantage, I made a quick back flip-up, narrowly avoiding the followed-up attack launched by IF. Her sudden swipe of her blade aimed for my ribs completely missed its target.

The back flip I pulled also increased the distance between us once more, about 4 meters this time.

The second my feet made contact with the smooth floor, I readied both my arms up, gripping tight on my blades.

I can see IF smiling, as if this was a fun game. Well, I suppose there are times where I even enjoy fighting. That is, so long as no one gets killed...or robbed. I'm still dealing with a small guilty conscience from whenever I defeat my enemies and take all their gald and items.

I suppose I'll just have to deal with it later. For now...

"You're a lot faster than I thought for someone so old."

"I'm not that old. I'm just only 20 years old."

IF blinks a few times, in a state of complete and total confusion.

"Huh? Really? Your only 20 years old and your hair's already that color? You must've been really stressed out before coming here."

"Well, actually...Hey, never mind that, can you leave the color of my hair out of this?"

To say I was stressed before would be an understatement. Oh, don't get me wrong, my hair was like that even before things gone straight to hell.

"Sure, I suppose it isn't really good for the self-esteem. Plus, it's a bad habit if I keep generalizing people on their appearance like she did. Now if Neptune were here..."

Her words suddenly trail off to the side...What's with this sudden silence? It's starting to feel awkward...

"Well, whatever. I suppose it's find so long as you don't meet her right away. I'll worry about your sanity if you don't adjust to this place soon."

IF. The way you talk about this Neptune...It sounds even worse than dealing with this ASIC. So who am I supposed to watch out for? Neptune or ASIC?

I'll figure the answer to that later.

"Alright, your martial arts, speed, skill and reflexes all seem pretty good. However, the bad guys aren't gonna play fair which means you gotta be ready for anything! Like this!"

IF puts away the Katar in her right hand, slipping her hand into her coat and stashing her blade away. At the same time, I notice IF's right hand reaching for something else. She draws her hand out, now equipped with a brand new weapon.

It's a gun. It looks like a simple 9mm Handgun from the looks of it...Should someone like her really be carrying such dangerous firearms?

"This will tickle compared to what the bad guys are able to do. If you can't face this, you can forget about helping Gear rescue the CPU's."

Her words were slightly harsh and cynical but I can't rebuff what she had to say. In the end, she's right. I'll be facing much stronger enemies from here on out. If I can't deal with this, she might as well just shoot me dead right now.

I readied my swords, the only weapons I have on me at the time.

"Alright, can you dodge this?"

Smirking with confidence, IF pulled the trigger 3 times and 3 bullets explode out of the muzzle of her gun in succession. At that same instant, IF kicks off the ground and follows the bullets in a ferocious charge.

What would be the meaning behind that action?

If I had to guess, the 3 bullets she fired might've been a decoy to gain my attention while she makes an attack on my flank while remaining on my blind spot. The follow-up attack is probably just a means to cover the possibility should I actually dodge the bullets that moved beyond what the human eye could register. She'll strike wherever my body will end up, adjusting her movements if necessary.

At least, that's what I would do to ensure victory.

However, I had no intention of dodging the 3 bullets coming my way.

"Hah!"

I swung my swords a total of three times. The explosive impact of bullet on steel created a brief flash of sparks on the edge of my blades.

The force generated by the swing of my arms completely split the three incoming bullets simultaneously. For a brief instant, I felt my body achieve god speed in order to achieve the feat of bullet splitting, a technique normally performed only in fiction.

"Oh man! You actually cut my bullets in half?! Even Neptune couldn't cut down something so fast and tiny!"

IF gasps in shock and awe but that brief moment of surprise did little to deter her movements and instead, she shifted her body to perform a head-on charge instead.

It was only natural to be surprised. The art of blocking a bullet with a sword is an impressive feat all on its own. Splitting a bullet was something even I gambled upon.

There was no real trick to it. I simply allowed my instincts, honed through countless battles, drive my body forward. I made a mere estimation of where the bullets may hit, judging by the trajectory IF's eyes seems to be projecting as well as the imaginary line I drew from the muzzle of IF's gun to my own body.

The rest was just dumb luck. Honestly, even I didn't think I could cut all 3 bullets in succession. My probability for cutting a bullet alone was about 40%, if I had to guess. That means, the probability of success of cutting three bullets perfectly were just above 6%. I must have the devil's luck backing me up on this one.

Even my mind, couldn't register the fact that I managed to cut those bullets down.

I put those thoughts aside in order to deal with IF rushing in.

She only had one blade in her hand, and rushed in for a stab. That same attack again. This time she had a gun in her right hand and she looked ready to fire it.

Does she intend to pin me down with bullets until she entered her ideal striking range? Then, I'll just have to take her focus away from me so she can't fire her gun.

I toss the sword in my left hand straight into the air; the sudden action drew the attention of everyone in the room on that one sword alone. Watching that spinning blade reach high into the air, everyone had a face that all said 'What's going to happen?'

The answer is simple: nothing.

That blade was merely a decoy to draw IF's attention away even for a brief second and it worked. IF's eyes were momentarily drawn to the spinning blade in the air. I used the oppurtunity to step silently towards her while quickly closing the distance between us while remaining just under her visual range.

The second I entered within reaching distance, I quickly make a grab to the wrist of her extended arm. Gripping on it, I swiftly pull on her arm to the side, keeping her blade out of reach from doing any harm to my body. I continue holding onto her wrist in order to restrict her movements.

"Wah!"

Realizing my sudden appearance, IF's eyes gaped wide. She tried to break her wrist free from my grasp but I kept her locked between my fingers. I wield sledgehammers as one of my weapons, don't underestimate my strength.

IF tried to attack with her gun but even I know how ineffective they can be against a blade in close range such as this. I pull on her arm, disrupting her balance briefly. In that opening, I took the blade in my right hand and swung it across.

"...!"

"..."

Victory was certain the very instant I grabbed hold of her wrist. I essentially had control of her body movements from that point. By pulling on her arm, I drew her closer to render her gun ineffective. At the same time, I swung my blade to ensure she couldn't dodge the slash.

My hand stopped just as the edge of my blade closed the gap to her neck by about 20 centimeters. IF cautiously rested her chin on the face of my sword, while a nervous bead of sweat crawls down her cheek, lightly touching my blade.

She was incredibly spooked. Anyone would be if they had something like a gun to their head or in this case, a blade hovering just next to her neck.

She knew just as well as I do that these blades were dangerously sharp. Against a neck where muscle was the hardest to build, it would be an easy cut straight through bone.

I stopped at a safe 20 centimeter mark to avoid any real harm to IF. I have to admit, holding back was a lot harder than following through. But it was a good skill to learn when mastering combat. It's pretty much what separates trained fighters and reckless fools.

Victory was pretty much assured for me at this point so I saw no reason in fighting anymore. Or rather, I'd much rather not fight after this point. Things will just get bloody if we continue on.

I retract my blade and pull myself away from IF. With that, she calms down a little and while patting down her racing heart, she nods with approval.

"Alright, I suppose that's a pass in my book. Welcome to the party, Leader."

"Ah, thanks."

I wasn't sure if it was a compliment but decided to treat it as such anyways. Stepping back, I raise my left hand up and caught my other sword, which fell right into my hand with precise timing.

I put my dual swords away and IF goes onto pull back her weapons as well.

That reminds me. I need to get myself a pair of handguns. Oh and a hammer too.

"Wow, that's incredible. Mr. Ludger! To think that you could even best Iffy in combat! She's as tough as Nep-Nep and the others when she wants to be."

Completely amazed, Compa kept showering me with compliments while remaining in awe.

It was kind of embarrassing, I wasn't that great.

Histoire looked delighted.

"Well, there's no question about it. Ludger definitely has the strength we need, even if it what we saw was a mere fraction of it. It certainly puts my at ease, having him to look after everyone else."

Nepgear kept furiously nodding her head up and down while smiling proudly.

"Yep, I too would feel a lot better if Mr. Ludger was in charge. I don't think I could handle the pressure of being a party leader. But it's okay because Mr. Ludger is here now. We're all counting on you!"

[You have acquired the title 'Party Leader'.]

...So what could I do with this title exactly?

"If you don't mind me asking, what are the responsibilities of a Party Leader?"

IF answers the question currently on my mind.

"Easy. You pretty much make sure that none of us get killed out there when we're fighting. Naturally that means being there in every fight from now until we reach the final boss, coordinating our actions on the battlefield, and managing all our items and equipment. That's all. Oh and making sure that we all reach a good ending that we all could be satisfied with."

I see...So me being the Party Leader has nothing to do with my ability...You all just don't want to do it yourself!

"Well, I suppose now that that matter is settled, I think it's time for Nepgear and the others to show Ludger home."

Huh? Show me home? I actually have a place to live here? As if reading my thoughts simple from my obvious face, Histoire answers.

"It's only temporary but we have arranged a place for you to live until you're more familiar with Planeptune and can attain your own lodgings. We thought it would be be[ coat hangers lying around. The room itself was simple. Occupied by 4 walls, a door, and a large window that leads to an adequate balcony with a great view of the gardens as well as the rest of Planeptune.

It's more than enough as a temporary lodging until I could get myself settled in. After all, I wouldn't want to get too cozy in someone else's house.

All that's left is to unpack my things...If I had any.

But since I lack just about anything, all I could do was take in the scent of this new environment.

"I'm sorry we couldn't give you more to work with."

Nepgear apologizes but I simply shake my head.

"It's fine. If anything, I should thank you for giving me a roof to sleep under for a few nights."

"A-Ah, I see. Y-You're welcome then! Um, Mr. Ludger...!"

"Just Ludger is fine, you know."

Nepgear suddenly blushes when I tell her that.

"T-Then, L-L-Ludger. I just wanted to say...You were amazing when you sparred with IF earlier. I couldn't believe my eyes, you were so strong...Even IF was impress, I've never seen her compliment someone so much before."

"Ah, that? That wasn't really anything special. I just did what I had to at the time."

"Still, it was my first time seeing anyone cut down bullets like that! Even my sister couldn't accomplish that...!"

Oh? So in terms of bullet cutting, I'm already at an edge higher than her sister, a Goddess? Then again, I highly doubt a being of such mighty power such as her would even need to bother cutting bullets in the first place. Probably would bounce off her skin without leaving a scratch.

"By the way, Nepgear. What kind of person is your sister, anyways?"

"Huh, B-Big sis...?"

...Nepgear suddenly became silent out of nowhere. ...No wait, what's with the awkward silence? And why does Nepgear have a face like she had just swallowed a really sour piece of candy!?

"I-Is something wrong?"

I asked the seemingly traumatised Nepgear and she answers,

"B-Big sis is...Well...It's probably better if I just show you what kind of person she is..."

Was Nepgear so uncertain that she required visual aid to give her answer? Now I'm all the more curious as to what she is like.

When I think a Goddess, a mighty, near omnipotent being, I imagine a refined, mature individual with holy power, infinite wisdom and a glorious image. A being that transcends mortal kings, she should be more magnificent, awe-inspiring, the mere sight of her should inspire followers to strive for the sake of others and the ideals they believe in. Simply by being in their presence, they feel blessed.

Such a figure...should NOT have a room like this!

"..."

I feel an awkward silence, unable to speak. Nepgear presents to me her sister's, Neptune's living room. To be given such a privilege should be considered an honor and I should be graced just by stepping forward.

But the only thought I can think is...WHAT THE HELL AM I SEEING!?

A massive flat screen TV, with a few game consoles connected to it. I see a couch, a bed, a bean-bag chair, an army of stuffed animals lying on the ground...Also, cluttering around the TV, I see a lot of game boxes, discs, and half-eaten bags of potato chips lying all over the place. Crumbs were leaking out from the bags and making a complete mess of the carpets.

"..."

I try to speak but I was too traumatized for words. I was trying to say 'THIS is a goddess' living room!?'

"Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah-Ah..."

Although my voice made a sound, all I could do is repeatedly stutter 'Ah' like a chattering idiot.

As if reading my mind, Nepgear answers with a meek smile,

"Yes, my big sister tends to make a bit of a mess when she gets into her video games. She was going to clean this up but she kinda got captured and well...We've just been leaving it all like this for the past 3 years."

She probably thought, 'Ah, let's go beat up the bad guy...and let's make it fast, I was planning to beat this boss today' before leaving. Although the TV looks off, there were clear signs that it was dropped midway through playing.

Does a Goddess really loiter in a place like this? Never mind that, can a human being even stand in a place like this.

And with that, I rolled up my sleeves and steeled my mind.

"Alright, can't be helped. Let's clean this up!"

My knack for housework kicked in and I ended up cleaning the living room of what feels like the territory of a 13 year old.

First was the easy part, picking up all the stuffed animals and stale chip bags up from the ground. I tossed the old potato chips into the garbage all the while putting the stuffed toys above ground so they'd stay out of their way.

I left Nepgear to clean up the discs and putting them in their respective boxes, since she seems more familiar with them than me.

The rest was simply taking a vacuum cleaner and running it through the entire room, picking up any of the small crumbs that might be hiding in the carpet.

We were pretty much done in a matter of minutes and with that out of the way, I breathed a sigh of relief...Although if it turns out every room was like this, I think I might just faint.

"Hah, that's better."

The room was like a complete makeover from what it was before. Although, the color of the walls, floor and ceiling remain the same, it felt like I was standing in a completely new room entirely.

"I'm really sorry. It's because my sister hates housework that you have to do this."

Nepgear...This really isn't something YOU have to apologize for.

Nepgear suddenly wears a sorrowful face. There was a heavy guilty emotion weighing down in her eyes.

"If only...If only I was stronger, then the other CPU's wouldn't be in so much trouble...and you wouldn't need to dragged here just to solve our problems..."

Nepgear purely professes her guilt right before me. It was a rather misplaced sense of guilt but it continued to weighed heavily on her mind.

'If only I was stronger', huh?

Those were words common to those who felt inadequate with themselves after facing bitter failure. I don't fully understand what fully ate away Nepgear, but I wanted to free her from it. Because she was so young, she shouldn't deal with such serious problems.

That's something for adults to handle.

I am a human and she, along with her sister, are considered mighty characters in this world of Gamindustri. So typically, I can't really understand the burden of being a CPU or a CPU Candidate even.

There was little I could say. But I wanted to at least say this,

"Is lacking strength really a bad thing?"

"H-Huh?"

Nepgear answers my question with clear confusion. You can practically see the question mark hovering over her head.

"I mean, if there's something you can't accomplish alone, you simply look to others for help, don't you? If we're all capable of doing things alone, then we'd have no need for friends, right?"

"Friends..."

"Yep, friends. You have Compa and IF for your friends, right? If you can't save your sister alone, then you can ask them for help. The other sisters as well. If you have them lending your strength, then I'm sure you can do it."

"Y-You too, Ludger?"

Nepgear asks with hope on her face. Ah, that's cute. There's no person in the world who could refuse a girl like this with that face.

"Me? Well, if you want, sure. I'll be your friend and I'll be happy to help you."

Boundless energy began to shine out of her eyes and her mouth grew to form the most joyful grin a girl her age could wear.

"R-Really? O-Okay, that's a promise then, right?"

Nepgear raises her hand towards me. She held nothing in her palm or in her fingers. She simply extends out her pinky up towards me.

Looking at that, I understood completely and became overwhelmed with nostalgia.

-Ah, it's just like that time, huh?

The goal is different, the world I am in was different and the person standing before me couldn't be any more different...

...And yet, I couldn't help but think back to that time and confuse this moment as a re-enactment.

To me, it was essentially the same as then.

A promise to someone I had to protect.

And that's why, I did it without hesitating. I took my hand out and wrapped my own pinkie around Nepgear's. I was then wrapped by such a familiar feeling as Nepgear held firmly on my pinkie.

"Yes, a promise. I promise to help you save your sisters. And your world."

I swear to her and we shook. Although the action itself was simple, it felt like my soul was now bound to fulfilling this one promise to the end.

One might as well form a contract or blood pact and it would make little to no difference to me.

I don't understand why I always make such grand promises to people I've just met. Well, I suppose none of that matters anyways.

What matters is keeping the promises I make. A failed promise is a greater regret to have then a grand one.

We released our fingers and pulled our hands away and with that agreement reached, I could feel a slight growl coming from my stomach.

"I'm starting to get hungry. Do you want anything, Nepgear? I'd be happy to make it for you."

"Y-You can cook, Ludger!?"

"Yeah, I used to work as a chef."

That is...until things went horribly wrong on day one...Which for the record, wasn't my fault.

"I-In that case, I'll have the Chef's special!"

Chef's special, huh? That's essentially the same as 'whatever you like'. That's considerate and everything but such indecision makes it hard for me to decide what to make. Well, I suppose I'll just work with what I can find in the kitchen.

"Alright, let's go."

"Ok! Oh but wait, there's something I need to give you! Histoire says I should give it when you're in the best possible mood!"

...That's a weird condition to hand something off. Nepgear then gives me a strange piece of paper as I thought that to myself.

This is...What is this? I unraveled the paper...and it looks like some kind of bill. And at the bottom, where the total is calculated...My god, look at all those 0's!

"Histoire said that inter-dimensional travelling doesn't come cheap. Apparently, it costs a lot of money for the equipment, power to operate it and to translate a soul over to this world. And at the moment, Gamindustri doesn't have enough spare funds to pay for all of it. So this is pretty much the bill for bringing you here. The total is 20 million credits. You can pay them in intervals if you like."

So basically...I'm indebted again...

[You have acquired the title 'Forever Indebted'.]

Damnit, that's not funny!

**Next Level Preview**

**Ludger: Debt...Debt...Debt Again...**

**Nepgear: Uwah! Ludger! Get a hold of yourself! Can you hear me!?**

**IF: It's too late, Nepgear. Ludger's pretty much gone like Neptune when her controller runs out of batteries.**

**Compa: I wonder what happened to him...Mr. Ludger looks like he is reliving a traumatic incident from his past.**

**IF: W-Well, there might be some truth to that...The problem is now who's going to do the next level preview?**

**Neptune: Leave that to me! I love doing this kind of stuff! Ahem...**

**Nepgear: W-Wait, Sis-!**

**Neptune: Next time! Ludger and his new party goes on their very first quest on Planeptune, waiting patiently for Histy to return with information on Planeptune's mascot. While Ludger works tirelessly to regain his strength and help his new friends, Nepgear works hard to be of help while struggling to deal with those cute little feelings she has yet to understand! How will she fare when Compa and Iffy starts bonding with the main character as well!?...Yeah, like Silent Protagonists aren't pretty much your born harem masters already. I've played enough Persona to know that!**

**IF: What kind of stereotype is that?**

**Neptune: It's no stereotype! It's an ironclad law in the video game world!**

**Ludger: Debt...Debt...Debt...**

**IF: Nepgear, you still haven't told Ludger that bill was just a joke?**

**Nepgear: I-I tried! For some reason, nothing I say is getting through to him!**

**[Next time: Level 1: The First Quest!]**

**Neptune: Ah, Nepgear! You're so cute right now!**

**Nepgear: W-Where did that come from?!**


End file.
